Grid cap



NOV. 9, 1948. H. vW 2,453J72 GRID CAI I Filed July 12, 1944 FlG .6

INVENTOR. HARRY-WILKIE l9 TTOR/VE Y Patented Nov. 9, 1948 U N I T E D STATES QFjF] 2,453,172

GRID cAP' YWiIkie, Damn; 0133,;

Application July 12, 194d,- Seriak- 5441523 1 Claim.

(Grantcdnnder the act of March fl, 1883," amended April" 30, 1928; 370- 0.. G075?) The invention described herein maybe manufactured and used by or for the Governinent'for governmental purposes, without-the-pa'yment to me of any royalty thereon,

The invention to be hereinafter disclosed-relates to electrical connectors in general and in particular to grid caps for tubes in radio sets.

It has longbeen common practice to couple the grid cap and circuit wire or conductor by a yielding spring clip which may be' readily slipped on and pulled 01 of the cap, the connection or couple relying onthe friction grip between the two elements for maintaining operative relation. A simple friction grip for such couples or connectors, under most favorable conditions and where vibration, jar and movement are at a minimum, may operate with a considerable degree of satisfaction. Even under such conditions, if the couple or connection is frequent-1y disconnected or uncoupled, the efiiciency of the device is greatly reduced so that it weakens and its grip or hold is correspondingly decreased.

The great number of grid caps and cooperating coupling elements in use makes it highly desirable that those cooperating parts be of such design or construction that the device carried by the circuit wire or conductor shall be able to cooperate fully with at least a large proportion of the caps in use, so that when a tube is renewed, for instance, the same clip or other cooperating element on the circuit wire, as before, may be used and with equal facility-and efiiciency.

The main objects of the present inventionare to avoid the above and other objections and'provide a simple, efficient, compact and thoroughly reliable coupling or connection, which will not decrease eificiency with frequent successive or repeated uses and which will be thoroughly-applicable to a large proportion of the grid caps in use, thereby minimizing change, removal or renewal ofthat part of the combination carried by or aifiXed to the conductor or circuit Wire. The invention also has the advantage of low cost quantity production.

In order to more clearly disclose the construction, operation and use of the invention, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of the present application.

Throughout the several figures of the drawings, like reference characters designate the same parts in the difierent views.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation of one form of grid cap of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a like view of the cooperating clip;

Fig. 3 is a yiew 'similar 'toFig' 1, showing-a modification 1 Fig. 4 is a View similar to 'Fig. 1, showing a second'modificatio'n which is the preferred formof the grip cap; 1

Fig;'5 is a view similar-to Fig. 2 showing=the prefer-red modificationof the clip fcrcooperation withthe cap of Fig. 4;

Fig. v6 is a viewsimil-ar to Figs. 1, 3 and a, show ing-a further modifieationpand Figl' l is a View similar-to Figs 2 and "5, showing a further modification ofthe cooperating clip,

The several modifications of the invention all utilize-resiliencyof the clip in combina-tion with positiveengagement between elements of or carried by the cap bycooperating features or elem ents' carriedand "the clip.

Reiei'ring to' Figure 1 in detaiL'the cap 5, in stead of being of substantially the same diam eter throughout--o1"cylindrical, inthe standard'caps' in usefis formed with a circumferential' depression; a short distane'e'frohr its lpwer edge? Figure 1 1- shows this-depression ascn-e' "con tinuous-"formation; It will be-well -detst'obel that the depression does not, necessarily, have i to is madeyvith a circumferential dep-ression 'ii of approximately' the .same 'dimensions as dep'rcs :sion"2. Clip-3 is of 'approxiin ately the same -dimen'sioris 'as c'ap i, being iustsufiicie-ntly larger to receive c'ap sl th'er vithi .5; one part 'of a capsule sli-ps onto the otherz Clip ii, in this form, is mad'e with a circumferential depression ii of the I'same relative positiong'form --and'--prtiporti 'as-'=depressibn-*2- in cap 1. In assembling;there dially inwardly directed shoulder or rib formed in clip 3 by the depression 8 will contact the end of grid cap I as the assembly is started. Continued assembly movement spreads or springs the fingers 5 permitting the shoulder to ride up over and along the surface of cap I until it reaches complete assembled position. At that point the shoulder or rib aligns with and, by the resiliency of fingers 5, is snapped. into the depression 2. As the shoulder or rib of depression 6 snaps into depression 2 there is a positive connection, on-

gagement or lock between the cap and clip as compared with the purely frictional connection heretofore provided by the spring clip connection in wide use. No degree or amount of shock, vibration or accidental contact can disengage the clip from the cap. On the other hand, the clip may be removed and the connection broken or interrupted by a deliberate or intentional pull of the clip, lengthwise of the cap, in the direction opposite to that of the movement in assembling. In that movement, engagement between the clip rib and cap depression would again spring or spread fingers to releasing position, permitting the rib to ride up out of the depression 2, so that the clip could then be easily withdrawn in the same manner, but reverse direction, as in the assembly. It will be well understood that the circumferential depressions 2 and 6 may be arranged reversely and operate in the same way with the same results. The depression 2, in that case, would then appear in the inner wall or face of cap 1 and become a rib or shoulder and the depression 9 would snap over and receive that shoulder or rib. In substance, this is similar to the modification shown in Fig. 3, the diiference being that the rib resulting from the depression 2 in the inside of l is formed at the outer or closed end of the cap instead of a short distance from the opposite end. And, of course, the cooperating depression 6 of the clip would be correspondingly located. It will be equally obvious that these depressions 2 and 6 and their corresponding or resulting ribs or shoulders may be formed at various other points in the lengths of the cap and clip intermediate those stated. Also, the depressions 2 and 6 and resulting ribs, may be partial instead of completely circumferential and disposed at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the cap instead of perpendicular thereto.

Instead of cooperating circumferential depressions and ribs, etc, the cap may be provided in the preferred form with one or more radially outwardly extending nibs or projections 1 as shown in Fig. 1. Cooperating with the cap of Fig. 4, the clip 3 would have a plurality of openings, holes or perforations 8 and, of course, would be split lengthwise at 4. Assembly is made in the same way. As the holes 8 align with nibs 7, the fingers 5 snap down into operative position with nibs 7 extending through perforations 8 and substantially positively connecting the cap and clip.

In Figures 6 and 7 an approximate reversal of the above arrangement is illustrated. Instead, approximately hemispherical nibs 9 of a similar or corresponding operation and disposition are used. Obviously, holes in the clip would be useless for cooperation with the depressions 9. Accordingly, depressions I0 are made, inwardly, in the clip, in location and disposition to fully cooperate with the depressions 9 in the cap, when the clip 3 is fully assembled on its cap. Here, again, as the clip is slipped on over the cap, the inwardly extending nibsformed by the depressions l0 engage the cap and spring the fingers 5 outwardly. Then, as the clip continues to final position, the nibs of depression I!) seat in depressions 9 and yieldingly connect the clip and cap, in the same general manner as connection is made between those parts in the previously described construction.

In all forms a circuit wire of the radio set is connected to the clip in usual and well known manner, unnecessary to further describe or illustrate here.

It will be noticed that in every instance there,

are resilient spring fingers adapted to closely yieldingly embrace the entire cap and, in operative position, to substantially positively, though yieldingly, connect the clip and cap.

It is thought that the construction, operation and use of the invention will be clear from the preceding detailed description.

Many changes may be made in the construction, arrangement and disposition of the various parts of the invention, within thescope of the appended claim without departing from the field of the invention. 1

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

An electrical connecter comprising a pair of cooperating elements of electrically conductive material, one of said elements being a hollow cap having a continuous outer surface open at one end and closed at the other end, the closed end having an externally rounded peripheral edge, and the other element being a hollow clip fitting tightly over said cap, the clip being open at one end and closed at'the other end and being formed with a plurality of slits which extend longitudinally from the open end of the clip to adjacent the closed end to form a plurality of separate resilient fingers gripping the cap, said cap having external semi-spherical projections formed adjacent its open end and said clip having apertures in said resilient fingers adjacent the open end of the clip into which the mentioned projections extend to form a releasable interlock of the cap and the clip.

HARRY WILKIE.

REFERENCES CITED I The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

